Why is Marquardt unconcerned about his next charge? For one, he’s got Okami to worry about on Saturday. The Japanese fighter is one of the physically bigger middleweights of the division and presents many challenges, particularly when the fight gets into grappling range. In 11 UFC appearances, he’s fallen short only twice – against former champion Rich Franklin and one-time contender Chael Sonnen.

But Marquardt also has been in a title-eliminator situation before, and it taught him a valuable lesson. On the brink of another shot at Silva’s title, he faced Sonnen at UFC 109 and admittedly failed to follow his game plan and came on too aggressively early in the fight. That allowed Sonnen to earn a takedown, and from there on, he never ceded control of the action. By the end of the three-round fight, he was back to the drawing board with a unanimous-decision loss.

Marquardt told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he doesn’t necessarily place greater value on a title shot this time around. Instead, he’s realized that he can’t sit on his heels at any point in his career. If he’s going to be champion, there’s no rest along the way.

That means he has to take the fight to Okami at every turn.

“When I lost to Chael, I realized that I had lost a little bit of my desire – my fire to train and go out and do my best because my dream was to be the champion.” he said. “I think that (loss) reignited my fire. That’s how I can know I’m going to perform my best.”

If Marquardt wins, he may get an opportunity to avenge a loss to Silva more than three years ago at UFC 73. But he’ll take whoever has the belt come spring or summer of next year. Despite a quick turnaround from his most recent victory, a TKO win over Rousimar Palhares in September, he’ll be waiting when the winner of the February title fight is ready to go. Getting the title shot is the most important thing.

“As soon as the winner of that (bout) can fight would be my preference,” he said. “But if I have to wait, that’s fine too. I have enough experience (that) if I take a six- to eight-month layoff between fights, I still train all year round. I’ll be in shape.”

In August Okami bested amateur wrestling standout Mark Munoz, so he hasn’t had as quick of a turnaround as Marquardt. But he, too, has been waiting in the wings for a shot at the middleweight belt. Just prior to Marquardt’s loss to Silva, he took on Franklin for a title shot and was outstruck en route to a unanimous-decision loss. The setback snapped a four-fight win streak inside the octagon and forced him to work his way back up the 185-pound ladder. He did just that and racked up three consecutive wins, including one over former champion Evan Tanner. Then he ran into Sonnen at UFC 104, and he, too, was outworked from bell to bell.

Did the loss prompt some soul searching? Likely. But Okami said he’s more driven to face Silva than Belfort. Why? He defeated the current middleweight champion in 2006, but he did so by disqualification, and it’s a question mark that’s tugged at him – not to mention MMA fans – since Silva began his reign.

At the time of his win, Silva criticized Okami for celebrating the victory, which came when the Brazilian threw an illegal upkick that forced a referee stoppage. Okami, though, doesn’t feel the need to make the champ eat his words.

“Technically, I won the fight,” Okami said through a translator. “But I feel I lost that fight, and I believe that he’s a great fighter. That’s the reason I would like to fight him again.”

Rivera and Sakara promise fireworks, but will they deliver?

The implications of UFC 122’s co-main-event bout between middleweights Jorge Rivera (18-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and Alessio Sakara (15-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) are far less clear. Both men enjoy three-fight win streaks and are fan favorites due to their aggressive, punch-heavy styles. However, none of their recent wins came against ranked opponents, and their overall octagon records speak more to mid-division competitors.

What’s at stake, here? The likely answer is not much. But that doesn’t mean we can’t all enjoy a good slugfest, which is what both men have promised for Saturday night.

“It will not be boring in this fight,” Rivera said. “I promise you. If you’re looking for a boring fight, go somewhere else. If you’re looking for excitement, watch us fight.”

Rivera, who earned his co-main-event billing with wins over such opponents as Nissen Osterneck, Rob Kimmons and Nate Quarry, attributes his recent surge to a change in training scenery.

“I feel I’ve always had the potential to do well,” he said. “But to be brutally honest, I feel like I’ve got better trainers, who care about me and know how to train me properly. That is the biggest difference in my career.”

He’s unconcerned as to what a win on Saturday does for his career.

“I let (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) tell me where I fit in the middleweight division,” he said. “I think Alessio is a great fighter. He’s proven his mettle and his worth. I think beating him is definitely going to bump me up.”

Sakara, who’s bested Joe Vedepo, Thales Leites and James Irvin heading into UFC 122, told MMAjunkie.com that he’d like to fight in his hometown of Rome and face British fighter Michael Bisping. But he agrees with Rivera when he said his fate rests in the hands of the UFC.

“He’s a very tough guy, and I like his style because it’s striking too,” Sakara said through a translator. “(It’s) a very good war in the octagon.”

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.